One Possible Future
by JBHart
Summary: Tom is confronted by a future without B'Elanna.


Tom sank into the plush cushions of his beach chair and accepted the pineapple drink that the lovely bikini-clad waitress offered him. A dimple on the hologram's cheek accentuated her beguiling smile. Perfect.

"May I join you?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"Thanks, but I'm waiting for someone," Tom replied, slipping on his sunglasses.

The waitress nodded and carried her charms and her tray of drinks to the other crewmen enjoying the holodeck.

Tom released a contented sigh. Normally, he would have accepted her offer, but B'Elanna had finally agreed to meet him in this paradise as soon as she was off shift. It would be a welcome change from the Bat'leth tournaments she had been challenging him to. His muscles were sore and needed the rest.

He closed his eyes and let the steady thrum of calypso music unwind his thoughts. The holosun toasted his skin, and a salty sea breeze mingled with the scent of coconut lotion.

Now this was what he called relaxation.

A cloud moved overhead, and he waited for it to pass, proud of himself for making this program one of the most realistic yet.

But the cloud lingered too long.

"Hey, you're in my sun."

"Tom Paris," a woman's voice responded. "I need you."

He opened one eye and then two.

She was blonde, pretty, and staring at him with something akin to longing in her eyes.

She wore a Starfleet uniform, but Tom had never seen this crewman before. Was she a hologram? She wore blue. A nurse maybe.

Oh right. Harry must have added her into the program to make B'Elanna jealous. Very funny pal. Tom put on his most charming smile.

"Listen, Beautiful," he said. "You can tell Harry, nice try, but it isn't going to work. Nothing is going to spoil my date with B'Elanna."

To his surprise, tears welled up in the young woman's eyes. "You don't know me. I tried to prepare myself for this, but there was no time."

She knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his arm.

He sensed something familiar in her blue eyes and in the way she carried herself, but he was completely unprepared.

"Father," she said. "You must help me."

Tom set the drink aside. Too much sun, surf and pineapple concoction can get you into trouble, Paris, might make you hallucinate.

He sat up and removed the sunglasses.

"What did you call me?"

Then he paused. He reached up and pushed her hair back behind her ear-not quite human.

"You're Ocampa," he said. "Where did you come from?"

"Please listen, and understand," she said. "I'm Linnis, your daughter. My mother is Kes…your wife."

Now it was Tom who stared at her. He knew from the warmth of the hand that clung to him and the desperation in the eyes that searched his that this was no hologram. Couldn't be. She was so real. So alive.

He wanted to pull away, but he felt a sudden rush of overpowering emotions. Her emotions. She had telepathically invaded his mind, and he was helpless to stop her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I must show you."

Suddenly, he was on the bridge of Voyager just as a jolting shockwave hit. He grabbed the railing to brace himself.

"We've lost our shields Captain!" Harry shouted from ops. "The enemy ship is powering up for another hit."

"Evasive maneuvers!" Chakotay ordered from the command chair. "Paris, get us out of the line of fire!"

Tom responded immediately, and nearly stepped down to the helm, but another man responded too.

Another Paris.

"Aye sir!"

Tom watched as his double frantically worked the console. "Impulse engines are offline! We can't—"

The next strike exploded through the forward bulkhead. Tom threw up an arm to shield his face. Air and debris rushed past him, and he watched in horror as a crewman was sucked into the void of space. Voyager compensated for the breach and formed a force field over her wound, but the damage was complete.

The helm was destroyed, and everyone who worked in the center bridge—Chakotay—himself—were killed instantly, torn apart by the tritanium and duranium shards that burst in from the outer hull.

Harry who, from his position at ops, had been spared the brunt of the blast, recovered himself and rushed to the aid of his friends. He angrily tore at the wreckage, but then realizing that there was nothing he could do to help them; he stopped and slumped down to his knees. A frantic voice called to Harry from his combadge, but he didn't answer. Blood flowed from his ears.

Smoke and tears stung Tom's eyes and closed his throat. He couldn't catch his breath. He stumbled away from the railing, hands covering his face.

"This isn't happening!" he cried. "Stop it!"

Tom came back to himself. He gasped in fresh air and for a moment didn't realize where he was. The horror of what he had witnessed blinded him to the holodeck's beautiful environment. Now all he saw was her gaze locked on his.

He turned his head and swiped at his stinging eyes.

"What did you do to me?"

"It was the only way. You had to see." She tightened her grip on his arm. "We're desperate, Father. You must help us."

"I don't know you." He jerked his arm from her grasp and shoved her away.

She tumbled back into the sand, and her image began to fade like a horrible dream.

"Father, please," she said with her last breath. "Find a way."

Then she was gone. Just like that. The calypso music droned on. Tom barely heard it through the confusion of his thoughts. What the hell just happened? His daughter?

Impossible, but he couldn't discount what he had seen. It was all too real.

"Kes," he muttered, and anger rose up to overcome his confusion. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He got up unsteadily, and ignoring curious stares, he strode to the holodeck doors.

He would find Kes. She would tell him everything, damn it. Everything that happened to her when those chronoton particles sent her jumping through time.

So intent was he on this one goal that he nearly ran into B'Elanna as she entered the holodeck. A part of his mind registered that she was dressed in a colorful sarong and was blithely ignorant that the universe had just collapsed around him.

"Tom," she said in surprise. "I got off early so I—what's the matter?"

"My life just ended," he said. "I can't explain it. I'm sorry B'Elanna. I've got to go." He stepped around her and exited the holodeck, leaving a mystified B'Elanna in his wake.

* * *

When Tom entered sickbay, a dozen thoughts coursed through his mind. A few months ago, Kes had nearly died due to a future exposure to chronoton particle radiation, but because of it, she had seen her own life from the end to the beginning. Kes knew what the future held for her, but she never mentioned that her future included him and his child. How could she keep such knowledge to herself? Had she not considered how it might affect him?

And here she was working in the medical lab, back to the status quo, as if nothing of relevance was going to happen.

"That's the last of the gel packs from engineering," she was saying to the doctor as Tom approached.

"Good," the doctor said. "We'll have all of these inoculated before the hour."

Tom came up beside her. "Kes, I have to talk to you."

She glanced up at him, and then turned back to her hypo, measuring the dosage. "I'm very busy right now. Can we talk later at dinner? Neelix is making a wonderful Argelian soufflé."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from her station.

"Tom, what are you doing?"

"Lieutenant!" the doctor demanded. "Release Kes immediately!"

Tom let her go, forcing his hands to his sides. He hadn't wanted to confront her in front of the doc, but if this was the way it had to happen. . . .

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Are you angry with me?"

Kes could always read him better than anyone, making her betrayal all the more painful.

"Why didn't you tell me we had a daughter?"

The doctor folded his arms, his consternation turning to curiosity. He cocked his head to listen.

Kes gasped. "What?"

"Linnis. Her name is Linnis, and I just met her on the holodeck."

Kes' eyes widened. "How can that be? Her timeline doesn't exist."

"It exists alright. I was there. I saw what was happening to her Voyager. They were under attack. She came to me for help."

"Oh, Tom." Kes turned to the doctor. "We have to see the captain right away. Can you continue without me for a while?" She handed him the hypo.

"Of course," the doctor replied. "It will put us behind schedule, but—"

"Thank you."

She took Tom's arm and led him out of sickbay.

* * *

Kes paced the floor of Captain Janeway's ready room, agitated at the news of Linnis' contact and its implications, but still, she needed to explain.

"After the doctor reversed the effects of the chronoton radiation, and I came back into temporal phase with the rest of you, I had time to think through all of my future life experiences—the morologium, my family, my marriage to Tom. With the attack of the Krenim, many life altering events would come to pass for all of us. Some were too painful to contemplate, let alone relate to you. You are all so dear to me, you've become my family, and I didn't want to hurt you."

She stopped pacing and braced her hands on the table. "Captain, I gave you all of the tactical information on the Krenim in my report, everything I thought would be relevant to Voyager's future, to help us stop the Krenim attack from ever happening." She turned to Tom, a pleading look in her eyes. "Tom, I assumed that because I provided the captain with this knowledge, that I had altered the future in such a way that Linnis would never exist, that my union with you would never come to be. I was wrong."

Tom said nothing. He couldn't meet her gaze. Kes was a close friend, and he loved her dearly, but he had a deep need for B'Elanna. If he ever had a child, he had hoped it would be with her. In one possible future, that doesn't happen. He desperately wanted to know why, but was afraid of what Kes might tell him.

Kathryn spoke up. "You have altered our future, Kes. Because of your detailed report, I have enough foreknowledge to contend with the Krenim, but perhaps in this other timeline, my counterpart doesn't, and Voyager sails headlong into that confrontation." She stood. "Explanations aside, we have a dilemma on our hands. There is another Voyager out there somewhere, and she needs our help."

"How can we help her when we don't know where she is?" Tom countered, still unnerved about the entire holodeck experience. "I don't even know how Linnis found me."

"Sometimes," Kes said. "In moments of severe stress, an Ocampa can summon more strength to her telepathic powers than she normally has. Linnis must be very desperate. Perhaps with Tuvok's help, we won't have to wait for her to come to us. I can contact her myself."

"It's worth a try," Kathryn said. "In the meantime, we'll scan for temporal anomalies. It's likely that there's a wormhole or rift between our timelines that enabled her to communicate with you."

"Yes, Captain," Kes said. "I believe that may be the case."

* * *

"Are you alright, Tom?" Kes asked as they walked through the corridor toward the holodeck where Tuvok planned to meet them. "You haven't spoken a word to me since we left the ready room. I need to know how you feel."

Tom took a deep breath. "I've met a grown daughter I never knew I had, and I've seen my own gruesome death. I've never felt better, Kes."

"You know I didn't want this to happen."

"Well, it did happen, and it hurts like hell," he replied. "But that's my problem, and I'll deal with it. What I'm concerned about right now is her safety. I know it sounds odd to say this, but we bonded in that brief moment on the holodeck, and what did I do? I literally pushed her away when she needed me the most. If something happens to her I'll never forgive myself."

She took his hand and squeezed gently. Her smile almost disarmed him. "Don't worry. We'll find her. I know we will."

Tom nodded, but he knew for a fact that they were headed for a future even Kes couldn't anticipate.

* * *

"My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts."

Tuvok and Kes sat on rattan chairs facing each other, already entering into a deep meld.

There was no Calypso music this time, and the waitresses and bartenders had been taken offline. Tom had cleared the holodeck of all crewmen except for the two now in mind meld, and B'Elanna, who insisted on staying with Tom when she heard what had happened. She sat next to him clutching his hand in both of hers and watched the proceedings with great interest. If only she knew how much her presence meant to him.

"What do you see, Kes?" said Tuvok.

"Emptiness," she murmured.

"Call to her. Make her aware of your presence."

"Linnis," Kes said in a soft tone, nearly a whisper. "I'm here. Your mother seeks you." After a long moment of silence, Kes bit her bottom lip. "I can't find her."

"There is a pathway, Kes," said Tuvok. "Do you see it?"

"Yes."

"Turn your mind to it; travel through to the other side."

Kes' brows knitted together, and her eyes squeezed tight. "I'm frightened. It's so dark."

"I am with you Kes."

Tom dragged a hand through his hair. His patience to wait through the process of the meld combated with his strong desire to see Linnis again. He longed to comfort her, to be a good father to her, or at least be as good a father as he could be without ever having been one. It was all so confusing. He bit back a heavy sigh, and squeezed B'Elanna's hand for reassurance.

She patted his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. She hadn't a chance to say what she thought of all this yet, but she sure as hell knew how to handle it.

Kes suddenly relaxed, and a smile grew on her face. "I see Voyager. Linnis is alive and Andrew."

Andrew? No one said anything about an Andrew. Tom leaned forward, but Kes' smile was short-lived.

"There's such devastation." Her voice quavered. "So many people are suffering."

"Continue, Kes. You must discern their needs," Tuvok said. "We have time."

The mind meld lasted for over an hour. Linnis did not appear in the holodeck as Tom had hoped, but through Kes, he learned that his daughter held no grievance against him concerning his initial reaction to her. She admitted that she might have reacted the same way, had the situation been reversed.

Though he had needed that absolution, it was small comfort in the light of the other news they received from their unconventional communication.

Not only had the alternate Voyager seen the destruction of her bridge, there was major damage to engineering which left her drifting helplessly in space. Life support dwindled. If they didn't receive new supplies and equipment soon, everyone aboard that ship would perish.

* * *

The captain held an impromptu meeting with the four of them in sickbay where Tuvok and Kes rested after their exhaustive meld.

"It is indeed a rift in the space-time continuum, Captain," Tuvok stated as the doctor ran a tricorder scan across his forehead. "Approximately two microns across at its widest expanse."

"Two point three two to be exact," Kathryn replied. "Sensors picked it up during the sweep. Talk about the eye of the needle."

"Can we do it then?" Tom asked. "Will we be able to help them?"

"There are slight fluctuations in the rift between our timelines," said Kathryn. "Beaming an away team through such a small aperture is risky at best." She paused for a moment and then smiled. "However, I'm not one to turn around just because of a few bumps in the road. Harry's working on the transporter calibrations now. So, if you're willing, Voyager has a brand new mission. "

"Oh, Captain!" Kes hopped off the biobed and threw her arms around Kathryn.

Kathryn returned the embrace, and after they separated she said, "They're our sister ship, Kes. They would do the same for us." The captain then turned. "Tom, I want you and B'Elanna to lead the team. Can I count on you to get that ship up and flying again?"

Tom cracked a smile. "Yes Ma'am."

* * *

Now, only two hours after the go ahead, Tom packed his supplies for a precarious trip across time. Harry dropped by his quarters using the excuse that he would help his friend pack, but it seemed that all the keyed up ensign could do was chat.

"My son Andrew. I still can't believe it! And in this other timeline, I'm your son-in-law."  
Tom nodded as he picked up a tricorder from his bed. "That's what Kes said. I wonder if I was as disturbed about that idea in the other timeline as I am in this one."

"Hey, you couldn't have done any better," Harry replied. "I'd make a terrific son-in-law.

You know, I could help you out in your old age."

Tom shot his friend a sardonic look and tossed him the tricorder. "Synchronize this thing will you, son? Make yourself useful."

"How?"

"Use the chronometer Tuvok programmed for me. It's over on the dresser."

Harry went to the dresser, and the door chimed. Tom looked up. B'Elanna stood in the doorway.

"You ready to go?" she said as she walked in.

"I'm ready," she said as she strolled in. "The real question of the hour is, are you ready?"  
Tom made a quick visual scan of the supplies. "I'm nearly done. I just need a few more minutes."

"You know what I mean," she said. "This mission will change your life. Hell, it's already thrown a massive wrench into mine. And I'm not just talking about the disruption of our silly holodeck plans."

He turned to her. Her deep brown eyes looked up to him, and he knew she was talking about their future together. He gently gripped her shoulders. "B'Elanna. This mission won't change anything between us. What we have can't be taken away because—"

"Because you have a daughter with Kes?"

So she was upset.

"Listen," he said. "I can't apologize for something I haven't done, and never intend to do, and I can't help my attachment to a daughter I know I'll never have!" He threw out his hands in frustration. "We shouldn't be having this conversation. The whole universe has gone insane!"

B'Elanna opened her mouth to respond.

"Two years old!" Harry exclaimed. "According to this chronometer, my son is two years old! Already a grown man." A tear ran down his cheek.

Tom rolled his eyes. "Looks like we're in for a long, long journey."

* * *

Tom, B'Elanna, and four other members of the away team stood on the transporter deck, double-checking the supplies they would take with them in their initial beam over. They would not be back for a few weeks, rift holding. When all was ready, B'Elanna nodded at the transporter technician.

Taking in a deep breath, Tom had to admit he was a little nervous about meeting his daughter again, only this time she wouldn't be just a holographic incantation. She would be a real woman. The idea left him a little weak in the knees.

The technician worked the console, and Tom felt the pull of the beam. It was an odd feeling beaming from one Voyager transporter room to another. Just the familiar tug and release and… everything was virtually the same, but for the dim lighting and stale atmosphere that told him he was now aboard the alternate Voyager.

When his eyes adjusted, he saw Harry stepping forward from the transporter console. He wore a lieutenant's uniform, but on his collar sat four pips. A field commission to captain. Tom was reminded of his own violent death in the explosion on the bridge. This would be a poignant reunion for Harry.

"Tom," His friend said, his voice gruff and full of emotion.

When Tom stepped down and shook his hand, Harry reached up and clutched Tom's shoulder in a tight grip. "I never expected see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Harry," Tom replied. He too felt a wave of sentiment coming on, and cleared his throat.

Harry then turned to B'Elanna, and it seemed that his melancholy deepened. He pulled her into a warm embrace. "I've missed you, Maquis."

B'Elanna stiffened. She kept her arms at her sides, her fists tightly clenched.

Then, becoming aware of her reticence, Harry stepped back, and sniffed. "Forgive me. This is all strange to you. It's been a long time since we've had such good news, and seeing my friends again, standing before me… This is a blessed time." He clasped his hands behind his back and straightened, drawing his chin up. "Quarters are set up for you. After you have settled in, my Chief Engineer will brief you on the repairs that need to be done."

"Who's your Chief Engineer?" B'Elanna asked, her interest piqued.

"Lt. Vorik," Harry said as he led the team out of the transporter room.

B'Elanna held back for a moment and raised her brows ever so slightly. "Lt. Vorik?"

Tom gazed at her, a smile playing on his lips. "Well someone has to be Chief Engineer."

"Knock it off," she growled. "I'm not upset about Vorik replacing me. I just didn't realize that I would need to be replaced. Did you know anything about this before we left? It would have been useful information."

Tom frowned. "Kes didn't tell me." He slung his bag over his shoulder and followed Harry.

"I wonder what I died of?" B'Elanna mused.

* * *

"I don't know about you," B'Elanna said to Tom as she dropped her bags down in her new quarters. "But I got the distinct impression that I was haunting these corridors instead of walking through them. Did you get that feeling?"

"Are you talking about the silent stares from the rest of the crew?" Tom replied. "Yeah, I noticed. I suppose in a way, we are haunting this ship…coming back from the dead and all."

"Speak for yourself," she said, giving him a gentle shove. "You'd better get your gear to your quarters. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Sure you don't want to stay with me?" Tom asked. He curved his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "This ship could get awful cold tonight."

"Is that so?" she replied. "I have a feeling it's going to be hot in my cabin tonight."

He tightened his grip on her and nearly lost himself in the depths of her eyes.

A corner of her mouth curved up. "Tonight, Lieutenant."

He pulled away, taking in a breath to clear his head. "Right. We have work to do."

"And I'm going to engineering," she said.

"You're not going to wait for Harry? He said he was coming right back."

"I know my way around this ship. Besides, I want to get this mission underway as soon as possible." She went up to her tiptoes and kissed him lightly.

"The kiss of an angel."

B'Elanna laughed. "Not yet."

He watched her turn and go out the door.

"Not for a long time," he murmured.

His own quarters seemed cold already. B'Elanna was right. There was a ghostly ambiance about this ship, even if they were the ones doing the haunting. No, he wouldn't be sleeping in this cabin alone if he could help it. He needed B'Elanna beside him in this strange future if only to keep himself grounded.

He dropped his bags and equipment on the bed and pulled out the tricorder to check its calibrations. He smiled, remembering how Harry had reacted to learning he had a son. If only he could be here.

The door chimed.

"Enter," Tom said. The door swished open and he chuckled. "Harry, you wouldn't believe the way you—"

When he looked up, the words caught in his throat. Linnis stood in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her. Her hair was pulled back loosely in a bun and slightly disheveled. She looked pale and exhausted, but a slight smile touched her lips. "Father," she said in a quiet voice. "You found a way."

"Linnis," Tom said, feeling a strong tug at his heart that he couldn't suppress. He dropped the tricorder on the bed, and she rushed into his arms.

"Harry told me you were here," she said as she clutched him tightly. "I had to come and see you for myself."

"I'm here, Linnis." Tom closed his eyes and held her. Felt the reality of her. "I'm here." For a moment he truly believed she was his daughter. Vague images of their early life together formed from a haze in his mind. His little girl. How he missed her toothless smile, and the way she giggled when he tickled her toes at bedtime. There weren't enough of those moments. She had grown up much too fast.

Disconcerted, Tom pulled away from her and searched her eyes. "I remember what you were like as a child. How's that possible?"

"The memories," she said, stepping back, but still keeping a hand on his arm. "They're the residual effects of our original telepathic connection. I gave them to you to strengthen our bond, so you would understand who I was and believe that my plea was genuine."

He let out a breath. "It worked."

"Come," she said. "Harry wants you to see sickbay first. We have problems there that need your attention."

Tom accompanied her into the corridor, and his curiosity got the better of him. "Say, how did you two…ah…get together anyway?"

* * *

In sickbay, the wounded filled the four biobeds, the floors in between, and literally every other available space. Tom stepped carefully around them through a thin passageway that led to the office.

"The doctor's emitters suffered a power surge, he's been offline for nearly two weeks," Linnis explained. "I'm the ship's only doctor with two surviving support staff. And as you can see, I need him desperately."

"Replicators are offline, I suppose?"

"They went out at about the same time."

"I'll need to run some diagnostics and have replacement parts transported over. If it's just an overload, we might be able to bring him back in a few hours, replicators too."

"That would be wonderful."

"I'm not saying that's the case. We won't know until we see the reports from the tests, but from this end the job could be pretty simple," said Tom. "We'll have to check with Vorik to see if engineering has been able to fix the power fluctuations. No sense in replacing the emitters when they could blow again. I'll get on it right away."

"Thank you, Father," Linnis said. "For believing." Linnis' smile was gratitude enough. She turned and went to her own work tending to her patients.

Father…strange how comfortable he was with that name, and how proud he was in her accomplishments. He and Kes had worked so diligently to get Linnis to this point, to running her own sickbay, and now she had become a doctor. He remembered how Kes had cried at her graduation, when the doctor presented Linnis with her first commission.

Tom dropped down in the doctor's chair and shook his head to clear it. The memories. They were so vivid. If he wasn't careful, he might forget he didn't make them. He didn't want to think of where that might lead him.

He grabbed a toolkit, then forcing his mind back to his work, he began the lengthy diagnostic process.

Within a few hours, Tom had received the replacement emitters from the functioning Voyager, and he was close to getting the doctor back online.

"Do you want more power to the emitters?" B'Elanna asked him from Engineering.

"No. Wait a sec, B'Elanna. There's a melted bolt here. Almost got it." Tom applied more pressure to the spanners underneath the holographic console, and the tool slipped, slicing his finger. Tom let out a yelp of pain and put the finger to his mouth to suck at the wound.

"That action is highly unsanitary, Mr. Paris," came the familiar voice of the doctor. "Do you want to get an infection?"

Tom looked up. "Doc. You're back."

"And so are you. Imagine my surprise," The doctor replied. "To avoid further confusion, I'll be blunt. Aren't you supposed to be deceased?"

After closing the compartment, Tom stood. "Not for a long time yet."

"Mr. Paris, when I pronounce someone dead, I don't expect them to come back and argue the point."

"It's a long story."

"And one I'll be interested in hearing."

"Tom," said B'Elanna over his combadge. "I'm noticing some slight power fluctuations. Is the doctor online, or isn't he?"

"He's online." Tom replied, then he noticed the new crop of hair on the top of the hologram's head. "And nearly back to normal."

"Was that…" the doctor said, pointing at Tom's combadge. "Was that B'Elanna Torres who just spoke to you?"

"Sure was," Tom said with a grin.

"Dr. Warhol," Linnis said when she entered the office. "I'm so glad you're with us again."

"It would seem that I'm not the only one who has returned after a lengthy hiatus." the doctor remarked, sending Tom a distrustful gaze.

"Wait a minute," Tom interjected. "Dr. Warhol?"

"Indeed," the doctor stated, deciding to ignore the confusion of the moment. "I chose the name from a flamboyant artist of the late twentieth century, Andy Warhol. He, through his art, endeavored to simulate the artificiality of the human existence, whereas I am artificial, striving to simulate the reality of a human existence."

"Makes sense."

"Right now, it may be the only thing that does," said the doctor. He turned to Linnis.  
"Now, Dr. Kim, please bring me up to speed." He glanced around the crowded sickbay. "It looks as though I have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

By dinnertime, most of the replicators in the mess hall, engineering, and sickbay were functioning again, and the crew had a little time to get used to the fact that certain crewmembers had returned from the dead, though only for a brief time. All in all, to Tom it was a successful first day.

That evening, Harry invited B'Elanna and him to dinner, but much to Tom's disappointment B'Elanna declined the invitation, preferring instead to work.  
Afterward, Tom visited her cabin.

"I brought you some food," he said, offering her a covered dish. "You should have joined us. Andrew was there, and Linnis. They wanted to meet you."

"I'm on a tight schedule," she said, removing a boot. "I don't have time for social niceties."

Tom placed the container on the nightstand and sat down on the bed beside her. "I happen to know that Vorik didn't work as long as you," he said. "Your overtime was unnecessary. You're hiding. Harry's your friend. The least you could have done was accepted his invitation."

"He was her friend. She's dead now."

"B'Elanna…" He began. He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he knew she would pull away.

"She was killed during the first Krenim attack," B'Elanna continued. "Vorik told me. He has no qualms against stating the facts." She jerked off her other boot and hurled it against the wall.

Tom's throat went dry, and tightened like a vise. "The future isn't set. We'll find a way to—"

B'Elanna put up a hand. "Tom, don't," she said, then she leveled her voice. "I'm here to do my job. That's all. I don't believe in fortune telling, and I don't know how this particular timeline ever got started, but I'll tell you one thing that's for damned certain. From our perspective, this future doesn't have a chance in hell of ever coming true. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

Blowing out a breath, Tom fell back on the bed, pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. He had failed her, and in the most fundamental of ways. When faced with her possible death, he had avoided the truth, allowing her to find out from a dispassionate Vulcan, instead of telling her himself. She deserved better.

As terrible as he felt, he stopped short of an apology. She wouldn't accept it. That would be admitting they could do nothing to change the course of the future. And that was unthinkable. Instead, he placed a hand on her back, and rubbed at her stiff muscles. After a moment she relaxed. She turned to him and slid into place by his side, laying her head on his shoulder. They lay there quietly, and he listened to her soft breathing, felt the comforting warmth of her body next to his. How could such an incredible, vital woman cease to be? She belonged here beside him. If he could only stop time and keep her with him forever. Let no harm come to her. Her hand was over his heart. He covered it with his own and pulled her closely to him.

"It won't happen," she whispered.

"Not a chance in hell."

* * *

The weeks on the alternate Voyager passed quickly with major repairs completed in less time than anticipated. The time was near for the away team to go home. Tom visited B'Elanna in engineering.

"Is command transferred back to the bridge?" he asked.

"By the end of the day we should have everything back to working order. We're running a few last tests. Besides, I can't leave yet without giving Vorik final instructions."

"I am completely capable of taking over engineering from this point," Vorik announced from the other side of the warp core. "I have told you that you are free to go."

"You see?" B'Elanna said. "He still needs me."

"I see," Tom replied with a laugh. "Listen, I'm going to talk with Linnis for a little while. This'll be my last chance to visit with her, I may be out late."

B'Elanna leveled her gaze at the door where Linnis, being prudent enough to keep her distance, lingered in the corridor. "You're breaking your own heart, Tom. I hate to see you do this to yourself."

She turned, but he grabbed her. "Come here," Tom said. He lifted her chin, grateful that she didn't pull away. He smiled when he noticed a dark smudge of grease on her cheek. "I might be breaking my heart," he admitted. "But I'll be a very happy man if I can mend it with you."

He bent to kiss her, but she turned her head to the side and hooked him around the back of his neck, pulling him close. "When we get back," she whispered in his ear, "If I catch you within ten meters of Kes, I'll—"

Tom's heart skipped a beat. "Yes?"

She let out a low growl and nipped him on the cheek.

His hand went up to the symbolic wound, but he couldn't stop his smile.

"You're mine, and that's all there is to it." She turned back to her team. "Well?" she said to the engineers who gaped at her. "What are you staring at? Let's get to work!"

* * *

After a late night dinner, Tom walked the corridors with Linnis. Neither talked much, both savoring these last few moments they had together. This was one date he never wanted to end.

"We've only been together for a short time," he said, "but I feel as if I've known you all your life. I suppose that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"It is," Linnis replied with a smile. "It's a very good thing. A father should love his daughter so much, especially when her love for him is just as strong."

Not only would his heart break at his departure, but he was sure Linnis' would too. She hadn't mentioned it all night as if she were avoiding the inevitable.

"Repairs are nearly complete, Linnis," he said. "I'll be leaving in the morning."

"Are you so sure of that?"

They came to a stop in front of someone's quarters. Tom had never been inside, but he felt as if he had stepped across its threshold many times. He had once lived here.

The door opened with a familiar swish. He immediately recognized the scent of the small garden that Kes grew and loved so much. Earthy and aromatic. Sweet like she was. A sudden pain welled up him, one of deep and overwhelming loss, and he wondered how his counterpart had managed to survive losing two women who he had loved with all his heart.

He swallowed and tried to keep the anguish from rising to his voice. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted you to understand what you're leaving behind," Linnis replied. "Go inside. These are your quarters."

She was behind him now with her fingertips on his shoulders, encouraging him to step forward. He felt it, the familiarity of the room where he had spent his happiest years with Kes and Linnis. He took a step inside and wiped his eye with his thumb, but he held back the other tears.

"Interesting décor," he remarked, when he noticed a painting of tomato soup cans on the far wall. He went closer to read the dedication painted in loose script at the bottom. He read it aloud. "They say time always changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." He straightened and looked back at her. "Dr. Warhol, I presume?"

"Quoting his namesake. It was his gift to you on your last birthday."

"Appropriate," he said with a nod, and then he noticing the framed photograph on the dresser, he picked it up. The picture was of Kes, and he was behind her with his arms around her. They looked so happy and completely in love.

"She passed away about this time last year," Linnis said.

"The morologium."

"Yes," she replied. "You were so devastated. We all were, but we pulled through it together. Mother would have been so proud."

As if from some distant dream, Tom remembered the scent of his wife's hair, her soft voice waking him in the morning, and his heart ached. He carefully replaced the picture and turned away from it. "These memories aren't mine, Linnis."

"I know," she said softly. "I knew you would want to return to your own Voyager, to your own timeline, but a part of me hoped you would stay. I was afraid of losing you again." She burst into tears. "Damn it, Father! I was supposed to die first!"  
He drew her into his arms and held her. "Hush, now," he said. "Don't say that."

"You were too young." She sobbed into his shoulder. "I wanted you to play with your great great grandchildren."

"Wow," he murmured. "Wouldn't that be something?" He let the idea take root in his mind. A family of his own. He thought of B'Elanna. Now, that was something to look forward to.

He brushed a hand over Linnis' hair, wishing he could somehow take away her pain. In a way, his presence on this Voyager had prolonged her grieving. It wasn't right. Linnis must have a chance to mourn for her own father, in her own time. He pulled away.

"Your father was a fortunate man."

She looked up at him and swiped a hand across her wet cheek. "And you're not him," she said backing away. "I'm such a fool. I'm supposed to be smarter than this. I'm a scientist for gods' sakes! A rational woman!"

"You're also vulnerable, Linnis. You've been through so much. Give yourself some time and a chance to grieve."

She folded her arms and turned, taking a few steps away from him.

He held back the urge to comfort her, feeling it best to break the bonds now while she was of the mind to. He moved to go.

"Wait," she said, going to the desk that sat by an expansive window with a view to the stars. "I want you to have this." She picked up a palm-sized device. "I made it for him in my first holoprogramming class."

The device was dome shaped, like an old-time snow globe. She held it out to him, and he took it, moving a palm over the convex glass. Floating letters materialized in the dome and swirled to tiny music, forming the words I love you.

"He kept it here on his desk," Tom said, letting the memory coalesce in his mind. "So that he could always see it, to remind him of when you were a little girl."

"He always said I grew up too fast. Will you take it with you?"

"I can't…"

"Please," she insisted. "I want you to remember your other family."

He wrapped his fingers around it. And they both knew it was time for him to go.

* * *

"We nearly left without you," B'Elanna said to Tom the next morning as he joined the away team already in the transporter room.

"Very funny."

Harry stepped up to him and stretched out his hand. "Thank you, Tom, for coming. Now we can continue our journey home. I'm glad to have met you. It'll set my mind at ease a little bit to know that somewhere out there, my friends are happy, healthy, and living life to the fullest."

"Thanks Harry," Tom replied, shaking his hand. "I mean, Captain."

Harry cracked a smile. It was long overdue. "Get going you guys before that damned rift collapses."

Harry drew Linnis close, and Tom looked into her beautiful eyes as they faded away.

Arriving home safely, Tom stepped down from the platform, grateful at the chance to get his life back to normal. He set down his bags to rub at his tired eyes. B'Elanna stepped down beside him, and he smiled. "It's good to be back."

B'Elanna watched him, her face full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," he replied. "I just need some time alone—with you."

"I hope you're not talking about a date on the holodeck?"

"No, I'm going to stay away from the holodeck for a while. Let's just have a nice quiet evening. We'll order in, catch a movie." He put his arm over her shoulder. "Absolutely no life altering events will be happening in my quarters tonight."

B'Elanna nudged him and there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Don't be so sure about that," she said with a smile. "See you tonight."

Tonight, he thought, he would never let her go.

Tom's quarters seemed sparse after such a long time away. No tomato soup cans adorned the wall, but he remembered Dr. Warhol's advice. If Tom wanted a different future for B'Elanna and himself, it would be up to him. But could he push against the force of time and change it to suit his own personal needs? Only time would tell, and that was the ultimate paradox.

He dropped his bag on the bed and unzipped it. There on top of his folded clothes sat the tiny holodome. He retrieved it from the bag and moved his hand across its sensors. The dome chimed and the words, "I love you" shimmered across the surface, then slowly faded away.

"I love you too, Linnis," he murmured, and then he placed the beloved gift on his desk to always remind him of his little girl.

The End.


End file.
